Review: MOIPEI Is Great Great Great In SING SING SING at 54 Below

At 54 Below, on Monday evening, Moipei, in their show “Moipei: Sing, Sing, Sing” were superb, superb, superb! More than blessed with beautiful voices, the identical triplet sisters, Mary, Maggy, and Marta, have impeccable comedic timing and their many individual talents shined through in their 18-set show. The sisters are reminiscent of a group of famous sisters from years past, The Andrews Sisters, and evoke a similar quality, in terms of execution and style - they are almost straight out of the same era despite it being nearly a century later. This is partly due to the songs they sing but more so due to the wholesome quality that the Moipei triplets evoke in their coordinated dresses, styling and choreography. 

The sisters opened the show with the number, “Sing, Sing, Sing” and then introduced themselves, poking fun at their birth order from left to right,  “I’m Mary, the eldest, the organized one,” and “I’m Maggy, the middle child, need I say more” which had the audience laughing. Finally, Marta, the youngest, or as she put it, “The cute one.” 

The sisters intertwined beautiful harmonies that flowed through an evening themed around rivers. Moipei took the audience on a journey down the Mississippi, through the Nile, and on the river Seine. The songs explored the way water informs life and the way it runs through all aspects of it. From “Down by the Riverside” to “Black Water”, “Deep River" and “Moon River” the classic and lesser-known ballads captivated the audience, as the sisters guided the journey. 

The Moipei sisters primarily shared the weight of each song, harmonizing their vocals to caress the lyrics and delight the audience, who were positively transfixed. The harmonies that the sisters pull off are as close to perfect as a harmonizing group can hope to achieve.  Key moments that stood out in the evening are those, however, in which the sisters showed their individuality. 

These moments came in the form of solos and anecdotes between the numbers. Maggy played the flute beautifully in the number, “My Land is Kenya.” Another key moment was when Mary started the vocals in “Corner of the Sky” and then Maggy joined in, followed by Marta. This arrangement allowed their individual voices to be showcased in a unique way that this writer wishes the evening had a bit more of. 

The musicians in the show, music director Joseph Thalken (who did many of the arrangements), Perry Cavari (Drums), and Michael Kuennen supported the triplets seamlessly without distracting from the harmonies. This is to say, the instrumentals were integrated so well into the harmonies that one almost didn’t notice, which is the largest testament to how well each number was executed. Despite the captivating presence of the triplets, one could also close their eyes and let the vocals transport them down the stream into a lullaby of lavishness. 

The Moipei sisters moved through the evening with such ease, it was a disappointment when it was over all too quickly. It left this writer wanting more, more, more! 

Find shows to see on the 54 Below website HERE.

Visit the Moipei Instagram HERE.